Iowa Pagoda

"Midwestern Pagoda,? wc/ink on paper

Although Des Moines is a medium-size city in the upper Midwest, we have an Asian garden along the river front, a monument to one of Iowa's great governors, Robert Ray. During the era of war in Southeast Asia, Governor Ray was instrumental in saving many Southeast Asian peoples from starvation and/or political oppression. He was the first public official anywhere in the nation to offer safe haven (Iowa) to Vietnamese boat people; and he welcomed Laotian and Cambodian refugees as well, many of whom still live here. The garden not only memorializes the governor but emphasizes to the nation that diversity and inclusion are crucial parts of an open society.  

The weather was beautiful. I sat on a block of stone and sketched the upper roof-lines of the main structure in the garden, a traditional Chinese pagoda, its upturned corners a sharp contrast with contemporary architecture looming on the opposite bank of the river. These tiered roofs are a constant architectural element of pagodas, which traditionally symbolize the Buddhist journey towards enlightenment. Each tier is a different stage of spiritual development. Pagodas are also symbolic of traditional elements fire, air, earth, water; and are revered places of peace and contemplation.

 

 

Uprstream, Spring

"On the Creek Bank, April," mixed media on paper, ~5x8

It won't be long until this image will match the changes along Druid Hill Creek. This particular sketch actually looks upstream toward a small bluff over the eroded channel to the south. The water turns a rusty red-brown when sediment from the uprstream golf course starts to wash down in spring. 

This was done on the spot, in a small sketchbook, but unlike other works this is not only watercolor and ink but there are touches of gouache as well, hence the "mixed media"label. 

Old Favorite

Like most, there are favorites from my past that I sometimes like to see. This one is a small ink and watercolor sketch done around sunrise in Redmond, Washington. We were visiting relatives and the low angle of the sunlight was attractive. This sketch is roughly 6x3 in a pocket sketchbook. I had seen the sunrise behind the nearby pines and above distant evergreens a number of times before doing this small piece. I've often thought it would be a great reference for a larger oil. 

On the Shelf

Of all the subjects I've done in watercolor, still life is the least common. Over the years most of my watercolors have been plein air sketching outdoors, with a sprinkling of interiors done when weather wasn't hospitable for outdoor work.But this subject--three figurines of mine that I see every day--has been on my mind for a while. 

The three figures are quite diverse. There is a netsuke figure, a reproduction of a famous buddha figure, and a reproduction of a gargoyle from Notre Dame. Netsuke are very small, an art form that evolved from a more utilitarian purpose into exquisite works. The buddha is a copy of the Kamakura daibutusu--an enormous bronze statute of Amitabha, a prominent buddha of East Asia. The statue is hollow, nearly 45 feet tall, built about 1252. 

Chandelier

Last weekend the weather was grey and windy. The cold wasn't bad but the lack of shadows and blustery conditions chased the sketchers indoors, mostly (one went out the the river). We went to West End Salvage, one of the places we often choose in such times. It's an architectural salvage concern in an ancient multistory brick warehouse. 

"Chandelier," wc/ink on paper

Attracted by the complex, overlapping shapes, I sat in their coffee bar, sipping a latte, and sketched. The crisscrossing set of heavy beams was one challenge and an antique chandelier that was hung from one of them was another. The only curved shape is the fixture. Getting the perspective and all the triangles and rhombi right was a challenge. 

Shoal

One of the more challenging subjects for me is water. Water is transparent, can be colorless, yet reflects light and refracts (bends) light too. Water can look like a smooth pond surface or an incredibly rough ocean. And besides all of that, water does much of it at the same time. 

"Shoal," oil on panel, 16x20 

This painting was my attempt to render in oil paint what I could see in a still reference of moving water. In this case the subject is a shallow river with a stony bottom. There are small, widely lapping waves that come to the foreground of the image. The water is clear and colorless, revealing smooth, water-shaped stones on the bottom. Light shines through and makes bright lines and spots on the rocks and pebbles. The water is less transparent and more reflective as our line of sight goes upward and rightward, showing us a slight green tinge or reflection on its surface. The slight movement of water also distorts shapes and provides cast shadows here and there. 

"Shoal" was accepted into the Salmagundi Members Spring Auction, an annual show and auction that happens both in person and online. Our club also holds a similar event in fall. This year the auctions take place on March 19 and March 26, online facilitated by an international auction webcasting worldwide. The member works offered will be visible shortly online at the club link above.

Near the River

Des Moines was founded in the early 19th century at the confluence of the Raccoon and Des Moines Rivers. Today the site is just south of downtown, next to the Iowa Cubs baseball stadium. Last Saturday the group decided to take advantage of the wide open parking lot to sketch, To the east is the Des Moines, to the north and northwest is downtown, The river confluence is just south. And along the new expressway stands a log cabin at the place where Fort Des Moines was established. I found an angle that gave a view of the cabin, with the bridge over the rive and a distant view of the state capitol.  

"Fort Des Moines Cabin," wc.ink on paper

This is about 14 inches wide and 5 inches tall, across two pages in my sketchbook. The drawing was first, in graphite, then watercolors, then ink.